How to Spot Fake Sony WH-1000XM6 Headphones

The the earpads are not compatible with the real WH-1000XM6 as the back has a different layout.

The sliding mechanism is smooth, with a screw present on the inside like the real model. While the real model uses a Torx design, the fakes use a regular Phillips screw. The level of detail the fakes go to is rather surprising. I looked for a similar shot on the real WH-1000XM6 but could not find anything online. If anyone who has a WH-1000XM6 and can take a similar angle photo and send it in, it would be appreciated.

I decided to weigh the headset, and found it came in at 249g, remarkably close to the genuine model’s 254g. The 5g difference is negligible and likely imperceptible to most users. Counterfeit products tend to user cheaper materials and are usually much lighter, so a weight close to the original is suspicious. My guess, extra weights on the inside. All will be revealed in the teardown.

The exterior surface of the earcups is quite shinny. When tapping the plastic, it feels cheap and thin. The surface is also a fingerprint magnet, much more so than my WH-1000XM5.

A major issue with the fake is the clapping force, it is very strong and quite uncomfortable. Perhaps this will improve with use, but the cheaper plastic in counterfeits tends to be more rigid, so I do not expect any improvement with extended use.

Sound 

The headset sounds acceptable, decent bass, but there is an absence of balance, almost as if the highs are missing. The fakes could be used daily, but my main concern would not be the sound but the comfort due to the high clapping force. Using EQ, I increased the mids and highs, which did improve the sound. But there is a limit to what software can do, when the hardware is the main problem. The volume on the other hand is more than adequate, I could even say it is too loud. This includes the voice guidance, which is annoyingly loud and intrusive.

The headset only supports AAC and SBC.

Noise Cancellation 

At first I assumed there was no noise cancellation as I saw no NC mic on the driver and the absence of the ANC holes. After checking the included 1 page manual, it turns out the headset is equipped with noise cancellation. The ANC microphone is positioned above the driver, so feedback NC. The hole near the hinge has no physical microphone, even though there is a space for one on the inside. This will be visible in the teardown.

Sony Sound Connect

No, the headset does NOT connect to the Sony app. The headset does show up as WH-1000XM6 in Windows 11 and Android.